Scriptures: Zechariah 2:10-11, Isaiah 33:22-24, Isaiah 65:17-25, Micah 4:3-4, Revelation 20, Isaiah 9:6-7
David records his vision of Jesus, the coming King who is God in Psalm 68:24-26, “Your procession, God, has come into view, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. 25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the timbrels. 26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel. 27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.” The glory of the coming King is also the restoration of the glory of all Israel. Centuries later, Ezekiel also saw a vision of God’s glory returning to the sanctuary of the temple which is yet to come.
“The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. 7 He said: ‘Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever’” (Ezekiel 43:4-7). Just as the tabernacle God instructed Moses to build was patterned after God’s throne room in heaven, the temple architecture given to Ezekiel will be Jesus’ throne on the earth. For centuries, the temple of God has been the people of God, but the spiritual kingdom will once again be a physical kingdom when Jesus returns. “’Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the Lord.11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you” (Zechariah 2:10-11).
Isaiah 4 describes the glory not only returning to the temple but covering the land. “In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain” (Isaiah 4:2-6). The Son of Man will bring with him the same glory cloud and fire that led Israel in the wilderness, which is why we will celebrate the Festival of Shelters. The word “canopy” is chuppah, what a Jewish bride and groom are married under. God’s glory rests on Mount Zion as the Bridegroom’s wedding chuppah under which we will enjoy the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Paul tells us that after the resurrection, “the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). How is it that Christ will reign until his enemies are humbled beneath his feet? Revelation 20 tells us that after the resurrection of the righteous, Jesus will reign on the earth a thousand years. “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore” (Revelation 20:7-8).
After this war, the devil is thrown into the lake of fire, the rest of the dead are resurrected and judged, and the new heaven and earth come down. Revelation 21:4 tells us at this time, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” When talking about Jesus’ return, we usually skip over the millennial reign of Christ and go right to this passage. But the millennial reign serves a purpose. It is during these thousand years that God redeems his original plan revealed in Genesis, – the “old order of things” – and fulfills his original plan to reign from Jerusalem with those who faithfully followed Jesus during their lifetime. They will serve as a kingdom of priests who reign with Jesus.
“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).
Jesus promises the overcoming church, “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations – 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ – just as I have received authority from my Father” (Revelation 2:26-27). Jesus is delegating to his followers God’s promise in Psalm 2:9 to give the nations as an inheritance to his Son who will “dash them to pieces like pottery.” Why would the nations be dashed to pieces during Jesus’ reign? As we saw previously, there will be survivors from the nations when Jesus returns. The “sheep” who were kind to Jews and Christians will remain on the earth, living out their normal lifespan, having children and continuing to live with free will during the millennial reign of Christ. The devil is bound for a thousand years so he can’t deceive the nations, but those who remain will still need to learn to obey Christ. If they don’t, there will be consequences, like the withholding of rain mentioned in Zechariah 14.
What will the millennial reign of Christ look like? 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (NLT). However, the Old Testament gives us glimpses of the kingdom God is preparing for us. Micah 4:3 says that the coming King “will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Jesus will reign as the Prince of Peace because he settles disputes, cleanses the earth of all wickedness, and rules in righteousness. Isaiah 33:22 describes Jerusalem under the reign of the King as a peaceful abode, “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.”
“Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. 20 Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed” (Isaiah 65:18-20). Isaiah 33:24 says that during the reign of the King, “No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.” While believers in Christ will be transformed with new bodies that never die when Jesus returns, the rest of the people in the natural world will live long lives, like they did in the early chapters of Genesis. There will be no sickness because Jesus, the Healer, reigns. After the millennial reign, the rest of the dead are resurrected to judgment and death is done away with forever (Revelation 20:11-15).
Isaiah 65:21-24 tells us that the curse that came upon the earth because of sin will be lifted so that our labor will no longer be in vain. “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Jesus’ kingdom is not a retirement home; it’s like the garden of Eden which Adam and Eve were told to cultivate. We will enjoy the work of our hands and be helped by God.
In Jesus’ coming kingdom, those who were faithful with little in this life will be given more to steward. Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25 in which “the man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:20-21). In his similar parable in Luke 19, the Master says to the servant who was given one bag of silver and used it to gain ten bags, “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities” (Luke 19:17). Likewise, the servant who used his silver to gain five bags of silver was given charge of five cities. Jesus will delegate responsibility to those who are responsible, which is one of the many reasons the world will be a better place under his rule. There will be no more greedy, wicked, or lazy people in leadership.
The world will be at peace because the devil will be bound and Jesus will appoint righteous rulers to reign with him. Sickness and premature death will disappear. We will enjoy the work of our hands and God will bless us with more as we faithfully steward what he gives us. Isaiah 65:25 tells us that that all creation is redeemed, even the animals who will no longer prey on each other. “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.” All will be made new. How will God accomplish this?
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6-7). God could have changed the world in an instant, but he is so convinced of the goodness of his plan for man to reign with him over the earth that he became a baby and began the long, slow process of redemption. Jesus overcame sin and death so we could be overcomers in Christ. God is committed to preserving free will, not wanting anyone to perish but all to have eternal life by willingly choosing Jesus as Savior and King. His own zeal for his perfect plan will accomplish it. What a Mighty God we serve!
Response:
Jesus, I worship you as my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Your plans for the world and for me are good. May your kingdom come and your perfect will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no sin in heaven, so let there be no sin in me. There is no sickness in heaven, so let there be no sickness in me. There is no poverty in heaven, so I ask for my daily bread and contentment with all you have given me. Let every good plan you have for me come to pass that I may bring you glory and honor as your beloved child. Thank you for loving me and redeeming my life.
(The picture above is the eastern gate to the Temple Mount where David prophetically sees Jesus enter the sanctuary to take his throne in Psalm 68. While taking this picture, I felt compelled to sing the Hallelujah Chorus which quotes Revelation 11:15. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Hallelujah! I did not know until I read Psalm 68:25 that the procession of the King into the sanctuary is led by singers. At that moment, the Holy Spirit allowed me to prophetically see him enter and sing hallelujah to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!)
